CLOCK STRIKES PRIMETIME
Matti Tenney - September 6, 2026
Week 1 of the college football season was living up to the hype before Saturday even had the chance to roll around. Under the Thursday night lights, the Colorado Buffaloes traveled to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Surrounded by a sea of white-out fans, both teams came into the matchup with something to prove, and no matter what the final score showed, both demonstrated that they shouldn't be messed with this season.
The two programs met to kickoff last year as well, a game Georgia Tech won 27-20. The Yellow Jackets went on to build a great campaign off that momentum, starting 8-0 and finishing 9-4 following a Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance against BYU to mark their best season since 2016. Coming into last night, Tech looked to prove that last year was no fluke and that they belong in the conversation as serious ACC contenders.
After losing quarterbacks Haynes King to the NFL and Aaron Philo to Florida alongside former offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, the Jackets turned to Alberto Mendoza, younger brother of Fernando and a national champion last year with Indiana. While Mendoza saw limited action as a backup in Bloomington, this game marked his first opportunity at the helm of a college football offense as a starter. Coupled with a new offensive coordinator in George Godsey and roster turnover across the board, the Jackets needed to start the season with a bang.
Colorado was in a much different spot. Year 3 of the Prime Era proved disappointing after a promising 2024 campaign that featured Travis Hunter taking home the Heisman Trophy. The Buffs finished 3-9, landing second to last in the Big 12 just ahead of Oklahoma State (sorry, Alex). That tough finish forced Coach Prime to overhaul his roster heading into Year 4. Under center, they turned to Julian "JuJu" Lewis, a fresh-faced redshirt freshman surrounded by proven transfer portal production at wide receiver to reload the passing attack and power backs suited for a physical, run-heavy scheme.
The defense underwent a similar transformation, using aggressive portal additions to improve depth across the front seven while filling out a secondary loaded with new playmakers. However, serious question marks remained in the trenches and on special teams. An offensive line that struggled to find clear upgrades, a light tight end room, and an unproven kicking situation meant the Buffaloes walked onto the field with upgraded talent, but still plenty left to prove.
The gold-and-black and gold-and-white uniforms clashed beautifully as the game kicked off. JuJu Lewis looked comfortable early for Colorado, picking up a quick first down, but the drive stalled out to give Georgia Tech its first shot on offense. Both the run and pass game clicked early for the Yellow Jackets as they marched down the field. With Mendoza through the air and Justice Haynes on the ground, Tech drove down to the Colorado 12-yard line. An illegal formation penalty and an incompletion set up a 4th-and-long from the 17. Georgia Tech turned to team captain and trusty placekicker Aidan Birr, who entered the night sitting at 57 career made field goals, just four shy of Travis Bell’s school record of 61. But Birr missed the 35-yard attempt wide right.
Defense dominated the rest of the first quarter as the two squads traded punts and turnovers. Colorado finally broke the ice midway through the second quarter when Micah Welch punched it in from 5 yards out to put the Buffs up 7-0. That lead lasted all of 14 seconds as Rahkeem Smith fielded the ensuing kickoff and took it 100 yards straight back to the house to tie things up 7-7. After another long drive stalled out for Colorado, Georgia Tech converted a late drive into three points as Birr redeemed his earlier miss, sending the Jackets into the locker room with a 10-7 halftime lead.
The third quarter turned into a total defensive battle, and Colorado opened the fourth by grinding out a 17-play drive to try and tie the game. Georgia Tech’s 6-foot-9 tight end Kevin Roche, Jr. got a hand up to block the field goal attempt, as Tech tacked on another field goal following a 5-minute drive to extend the cushion to 13-7. Lewis and the Buffs weren't finished quite yet.
With 1:40 left on the clock, Lewis started the two-minute drill. The Buffs sparked the drive with a 17-yard pass to running back Dekalon Taylor. GT fought back by forcing a sack and an incompletion, but on 3rd-and-11, Lewis fired a strike over the middle to Joseph Williams for 16 yards. Once inside enemy territory, the Buffaloes kept charging. Taylor busted out a 16-yard run, and two plays later, Lewis capped off the drive with a clutch 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end Charlie Williams, putting Colorado ahead 14-13 with only 42 seconds remaining.
Georgia Tech had one last breath left. Mendoza launched a 42-yard bomb downfield to Dalen Penson, putting the Yellow Jackets in field goal range with 3 seconds on the clock. Birr stepped up for a 45-yard game-winner, but Colorado's Boo Carter came flying off the edge to block the kick as time expired, securing a wild 14-13 victory for the Buffaloes.
While both offenses struggled to find rhythm for stretches, the matchup offered plenty of flashes of promise for the season ahead. Both defenses played out of their minds, and while Georgia Tech dominated the stat sheet, Prime’s squad executed when it mattered most. I’ve been a little critical of Prime in the past, but Coach Sanders and his staff put serious work into building and preparing this group, and it paid off on opening night. Colorado looks well on its way to earning a bowl bid by December. Will it be the Cotton Bowl? Probably not, but Buffs fans have plenty to be excited about.
As for Georgia Tech, special teams proved to be their Achilles' heel in this one. Without the two missed field goals, they likely win by two scores. Yellow Jacket fans shouldn't panic though, this team has the talent to fare just fine in the ACC, especially given how the rest of the conference looks early on. Week 1 is officially underway, and there is a ton of great action ahead for the rest of the weekend!
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